Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Barbara Boxer

Boxer Aims to Put TIGER-Type Program in Next Federal Transport Bill

During an otherwise-abbreviated hearing yesterday, Senate environment committee chairman Barbara Boxer (D-CA)  joined the chorus of praise for the stimulus law's TIGER program, declaring her intention to add a version of the competitive infrastructure grants to the next long-term federal transportation bill.

IMG_0666.JPGBicyclists in Philadelphia, where $23 million in TIGER money was awarded to build new trails. (Photo: BCGP)

"People at home really think they're very good," Boxer said of the TIGER grants, seeking advice from deputy U.S. DOT secretary John Porcari on how to write the program into her forthcoming six-year transportation legislation.

TIGER, short for Transportation Investments Generating Economic Recovery, awarded $1.5 billion to infrastructure projects that best met a series of criteria set by the Obama administration, including economic growth potential and environmental benefits. Transportation reformers have hailed the program as a first step in creating a federal system that funds projects based on merit rather than state-by-state formulas.

Porcari echoed that praise, describing TIGER as "the way to the future in intermodal transportation," but offered few details on how the program might be enshrined in the long-term legislation being drafted by Boxer's panel. 

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Congestion Pricing Gets Kids To School On Time, Data Shows

Data shared with Streetsblog shows school buses traveling faster and being late less since congestion pricing began.

January 17, 2025

‘Transportation Cannot Do It Alone’: US DOT Dep. Sec. Polly Trottenberg Signs Off

As USDOT's second-in-command, Polly Trottenberg oversaw massive shifts in America transportation policy — and she says the work is not done yet.

January 17, 2025

Confusion as Portland’s Road Death Toll is Alarmingly High

A spike in traffic deaths has tarnished Portland’s image as a bike-forward oasis, but advocates hope street safety improvements will accelerate in 2025.

January 17, 2025

Friday’s Headlines Gaze Into the Future

Driverless cars still face challenges but seem more inevitable than ever. There are two ways it could go.

January 17, 2025

Talking Headways Podcast: Reimagining the Civic Commons

Bridget Marquis of Reimagining the Civic Commons on better ways to think about community engagement.

January 16, 2025
See all posts